Last year I spoke at a series of women’s conferences with my friend, Dr. Kimberly Ventus-Darks. Each day she started the conference with the sentence, “If you always do what you always did…You’ll always get what you always got.”
Think about that! If you want something that you’ve never had; if you want to be someone that you don’t feel you are; if you want to go somewhere that you’ve never been; if you want to do something that you’ve never done…you have to do something differently.
As we start a new year, we have an opportunity to do just that. If we want some changes in our lives; If we want it to be more than it ever has been, then, we are going to have to do some things we’ve never done!!!
It is absolutely essential we become problem solvers. Problem identifiers are a dime a dozen. Anyone can go around pointing out problems. On the other hand, problem solvers are worth their weight in gold. Far too few people spend their time and use their minds looking for solutions. Problems give us opportunities to be creative. If you can identify a problem, you can certainly use your creative abilities to come up with a possible solution or two.
Don’t confuse problem solving with decision making. Problem solving is a brainstorming activity where we look at all the possible options available to us to solve a problem. Decision making is where we select one of those possibilities. Ever make a decision that is not in everyone’s best interest? Make your decisions based on what you know is the right thing to do. Be sure what you choose passes the test of your conscience as well as your integrity.
When you see a problem, prepare a careful analysis of that problem and any other problems it may cause. Make sure you are looking at the real problem and not a symptom of a problem. Once you are positive you are addressing the real problem, create a list of possible solutions and recommendations for alternatives. Then evaluate each option to be sure you are doing what is right for all concerned. If you feel in your heart it is the right thing to do, do it!
Remember, if you don’t have problems, you aren’t growing! Growth is always a creator of problems. These problems are opportunities. A problem just might be the push you need to do something differently.
Luck does not come from the rabbit’s foot in your pocket or wearing your “lucky suit” to the job interview. Luck is a state of mind.
It isn’t the suit that is lucky, it is the way you feel about yourself when you are wearing it. Chances are the color of the suit looks good on you, the style is becoming and it fits. You may even have had some measure of good fortune the first time you wore it. It is not the suit that will bring you luck in your next endeavor. It is the way you walk, the confidence you feel and your own affirmation, “today is going to be a good day” that will bring good things to you.
Good luck charms serve as an anchor for our positive thoughts. When you have a special coin or stone in your pocket, it reminds you that good things can and will happen to and for you. It is easy to think, “I have my lucky charm with me, everything is going to go my way.” The down side is when we forget to take it with us or if it is lost, we can feel that we have lost our luck.
There are some things we can do to ensure our luck is here to stay, with or without the rabbit’s foot.
Be willing to take risks. Never bet more than you are willing to lose, but step out of your comfort zone long enough to try new things. Be open to possibilities.
Trust someone. Find the people you can trust and gather around you the people who will be there to encourage you when times are tough and cheer for you when you succeed. Knowing we are not alone helps to give us the courage to keep going long enough to get lucky and succeed.
Be authentic. Being true to yourself and the things that you believe in will help you to project a more confident image. People who are in the market for a new employee or the product you are offering are more likely to choose you if you look confident and comfortable with who you are.
Whenever you put on your lucky suit or pick up your lucky charm to put in your pocket, don’t forget to affirm who and what you are. Affirm a positive outcome for the day. Keep your mind focused on all of the good things that will happen. When you do that, luck will surely follow you wherever you go.
Someone asked me recently how I get so much done. My secret is simply this: Small steps. Most projects are too big or at least they appear too big and can be overwhelming so break them down into smaller parts and do one part at a time. Do that part well. Then do the next part. When that is finished, do the next. Break everything down into workable units. Don’t try to do everything all at once. It’s important to plan our goals. Start with a long term goal and then break it down, What can you do short term in order to get to the next step? If you have completed a step, don’t check it off your list until you have started the next step. Read the rest of this entry »
You have a right and even a responsibility to be happy. Happiness is a state of mind. Many people let life pass them by because they choose to be unhappy. They sit around complaining, worrying, procrastinating, and gossiping about other people instead of making the most of every day. They talk about the past and how it was “back when.” Read the rest of this entry »
Stop talking about your negative traits. The more you concentrate on them, the more they hang on. What we put our attention to is what multiplies in our lives. Read the rest of this entry »
Who told you life was going to be easy? There are lots of troubles, irritations, and pains in life. Things happen. Things go wrong. People don’t always do what we want them to. Don’t depend on other people for your happiness. Depend on yourself. Be who you are. Do the things you want to do. Get for yourself the things you want to have. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you have any childhood dreams that remain unfulfilled or any cities that you have always wanted to see, but never visited? Consider all the material things you want, the lifestyle you desire, the places you would like to go, or things you would like to do and incorporate them into your goals. What is important to you? What are your most important values? When do you feel most needed and appreciated? What do you love to do? What gets you excited? What would you like your tombstone to say? Read the rest of this entry »
Attitude is an outward expression of your inner feelings. It’s your passion – and it is also a habit! How you speak and act every day becomes so much a part of you that it is automatic. That’s what a habit is – something you do without thinking about it. You know people who come into the room almost every day saying, “I’m just not a morning person.” Have you ever noticed these people aren’t usually afternoon people either? Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s face it, life is not always easy, and for some people, depression very often takes over. We get depressed when we are discouraged or disappointed in ourselves or our lives. We start to feel as though we can’t live up to the expectations of others . . . or even our own expectations. Read the rest of this entry »
It is absolutely essential we become problem solvers. Problem identifiers are a dime a dozen. Anyone can go around pointing out problems. On the other hand, problem solvers are worth their weight in gold. Far too few people spend their time and use their minds looking for solutions. Problems give us opportunities to be creative. If you can identify a problem, you can certainly use your creative abilities to come up with a possible solution or two.
